Cult of PC

Adherents to the cult of political correctness continues to plague writers and filmmakers. Often, before a film or book even is released, trolls come out of the dark recesses of the internet to create fake outrage over films they often haven’t seen, or books they haven’t read.

When trailers were shown for The Great Wall, self-appointed diversity police immediately complained that the “white” star in a Chinese film, must have been indicative of a “white savior” story. In other words, the white man was going to save the poor Asian masses.

These claims were fishy from the start: This was a Chinese film, filmed in China, by a Chinese director, with a cast made up of nearly all Chinese actors. Additionally, the open-minded Chinese government is very picky on what is shown in its theaters. Perhaps, most importantly, is that it was clearly a fantasy film and didn’t pretend to be otherwise.

When released, the architects of fake outrage quickly disappeared when everyone realized they had no idea what they were talking about. Jonathan Kim’s review in The Huffington Post wrote that “…on the charge of The Great Wall insulting the Chinese and promoting white superiority, I say: Not Guilty. The question of whether The Great Wall is a white savior movie is a bit trickier, but I’m still going to say Not Guilty…On the charge of whitewashing, I say: Not Guilty.”

In No Escape, starring Owen Wilson, Lake Bell and Pierce Bronson, we have a refreshing respite from overblown tentpole films. After this family is caught in the middle of a foreign country’s coup, the film effectively asks, “How far would you go to save your family?”

Critics, however, labeled it “xenophobic” for its depiction of Asians. Also, they claimed it had a “retrograde worldview” and “offensive.”

So third world countries don’t have a long, long history of uprisings, coups and assorted mayhem? Because it was set in Asia, this is some sort of condemnation of everyone on the continent? If the story was about an Asian family caught in riots in an American city, what sort of xenophobia would be talking about then?

We can find many other examples of virulent PCness. One reviewer pined Dunkirk lacked actors of color. So we should rewrite history and change the face of the British and German armies for diversity’s sake? Isn’t that called lying? The recent trailer for the remake of Death Wish was called “racist” and “fascist.” So vigilante-themed films suddenly are racist and fascist — hey Batman, you’re out of a job. Ironically, all of the African American reviewers I found on Youtube didn’t think it was a racist — with most wanting to go see it. Talk about an epic fail of the perpetrators of fake outrage.

I tend to think the public at large doesn’t care for the instigators tweeting and writing in the darkness of basements. However, it is an epidemic in the media and there are those who fall for it and those who think it is okay.

Perhaps it’s time we all decided to ignore those whose life’s work is to manipulate the masses. It is also time to seek truth always. As George Orwell wrote, “In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”

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History warns us. Legend fascinates us. Imagination drives us. Authors take these and create worlds that entertain, provoke and warn. Ultimately, even fiction is about the Story we all find ourselves in.